Migraine headache

Overview

SupplementDEX currently indexes Alpha Lipoic Acid for migraine headache. See the heatmap and evidence reviews below for the full rating.

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Alpha-Lipoic Acid	★★★★★	Low

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Studies

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Alpha-Lipoic AcidView supplement →

Reconsider purchase★★★★★

How we scored this

Effect SizeLowEvidenceHighTrustMedium

Evidence Review

It is uncertain if alpha-lipoic acid helps with migraines.
Some studies in adults show that taking 600 mg daily for 3 months may reduce migraine attacks by about one per month and improve pain severity slightly, but the clinical benefit is probably small.
Another small study found that taking 400 mg twice daily for 6 months halved migraines in many patients but had no comparison group.
In teens, taking alpha-lipoic acid with another medicine (flunarizine) reduced migraine attacks and headache days over 12 weeks better than the medicine alone, though pain severity and disability did not improve.

Browse 3 studies1 meta-analysis

MetaEffects of selected dietary supplements on migraine prophylaxis: A systematic review and dose-response meta-analysis of randomized controlled trials2025

A meta-analysis of 22 migraine trials found alpha-lipoic acid reduced attack frequency by 1.24 and severity by 0.38 versus control, among several supplements showing prophylactic benefit.

Effect: Benefit
Population: Adults

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RCTEvaluation of Safety and Efficacy of Add-on Alpha-Lipoic Acid on Migraine Prophylaxis in an Adolescent Population: A Randomized Controlled Trial2023

In adolescents with migraine, 12 weeks of add-on alpha-lipoic acid with flunarizine reduced monthly headache days by 7.7, raised responder rate to 80% vs 33%, and lowered serum CGRP versus flunarizine alone.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 12 weeks
Population: Children/adolescents

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ObservationalAlpha-Lipoic Acid Shows Promise to Improve Migraine in Patients with Insulin Resistance: A 6-Month Exploratory Study2017n=32

An exploratory study of 32 migraineurs with insulin resistance taking alpha-lipoic acid 400 mg twice daily for 6 months reported attack rates fell from ~11 to ~5 per month and treatment days decreased, without changes in insulin sensitivity indices.

Effect: Benefit
Duration: 6 months
Dose: 400 mg 2×/day
Population: Migraine patients with insulin resistance
Participants: 32

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Evidence visualised

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Effect-size distribution

How large the reported benefits tend to be

Study distribution across 1 supplements for migraine headache (3 studies total).
Supplement	DEX	Studies	Meta-analyses	Share
Alpha-Lipoic Acid	★★★★★52%	3	1	100%

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Overview

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